AuthorTopic: South Ossetia (Read 2114 times)

1500 civilians reported killed by Russians last night. As far as I can tell, Russia wants to prevent Georgia from being Westernized, and is using South Ossetia as a means to that end - if Georgia is at war, their application to NATO membership will not go far. Throw in a sprinking of centuries of ethnic pride and perceived slights and insults, and voila - thousands of civilians dead overnight, more to come almost for certain.

And from what I've read, there are no good guys in that war ... Georgia has been almost as heavy handed to South Ossetia as Russia has been to Georgia (almost).

There's even talk of fighting spreading to the Abkhazian republic. Why is it the civilians that so often have to die for the government leaders' policies?

To my great surprise someone here is interested in this war. Our news said two days ago that Georgia attacked peaceful sleeping people in their region South Ossetia in the night. Such news companies as CNN and BBC announce first news about hostility there only after Russian tanks came to South Ossetia. Who began first, what do they do in South Ossetia I don't know. Many disinformation all around the world!As about me I can't fully believe neither Russian nor Georgia government. As Alexis truly said many civilians are dying because governments can't arrange their businesses. There is no good things in war, poor people. Hate war!!! Hate to know that our brotherly nations are killing each other. What for???

I'm watching news now. They show documentaries what Georgians are doing in South Ossetia. They destroyed hospital with injured people, they are attacking press and columns with people who are moving away from their homes. People are running from South Ossetia to Russia. Many eyewitnesses.Also it seems to be true that Russians attacked one of the Georgian town to destroy ammunition depot. Of course many people die among civilians here and there Some people said that among Georgians soldiers they saw soldiers with the US stripes. It is known that USA army officers trained Georgians army during last months What the hell is going on on Earth?They said that Georgia began attacking South Ossetia because they want to join NATO. To join NATO country has to have an order on their territory. South Ossetias and Abkhazia people don't want to be a part of Georgia since 1991 when USSR ceased to exist. They are like Kosovo.

I was very upset by some of the film i saw on the news , once again civilians seem to be paying a heavy price .I just hope it stops soon , i don't fully understand the politics and don't really care , i just want it to stop it's not right to kill any civilians like this .

I agree with Dmitry. You can't help but connect this with Kosovo. If the "west" can offer protection to a non-slavic majority in a part of a slavic state, then the Russians can do exactly the same thing in reverse.Note the Russians went in on the very day Putin was in front of the worlds TV camera's in Beijing. "Nothing to do with me" he can shrug.I wonder whether the Georgians seriously miscalculated - did they think their US backing would frighten the Russians off, or have they another card up their sleeve?Sorry, but civilians or not - I love this stuff. And I can't go for all this "innocent civilians" stuff. Governments don't exist in isolation, and many of these movements have deep popular backing. These things go much deeper than the actions of hot headed politicians and generals.

AS BILLIONS watched China stake its claim to being the 21st century's leading power, with a stunning opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics, its former Cold War partner was pursuing its own ambitions in an altogether more traditional way.

Russia's brutal demonstration of power in South Ossetia, a breakaway region of its southern neighbour Georgia, marks the latest

^ cheers Geoff. But I stopped when the guy called China Russia's "cold war partner." Not how I remember it.

I gagged a bit at that, too, and wrote it off as a probable ideological whinge of sorts on the writer's part. But I seldom pass up a chance to lump communists together so I can take an easy shot at them, either, and the writer takes an admirably cold- eyed view of the matter at hand otherwise.

You see, nobody understands the word Stoli. The word is Stolichnaya. Foreigners shorten it maybe because it is too long and difficult to pronounce. But in fact it is not popular here as far as I know. Besides, it is not produced in Russia. The most popular vodka here is